This is the follow-up to last
month's article which focused on preparing for student
teaching.

Being an intern is an interesting position to be
in.The university treats you as a
student, making you jump through hoops completing projects and meeting
deadlines sometimes seeming totally irrelevant to the internship.
The school district you are working in expects you to be a professional
educator with all the secrets of innovation and new technologies fresh
from the university 'think tank'. Parents think of you as someone
who really doesn't know what they are doing yet and don't understand why
you are practicing on their kids. They are always quick to point
out their perceptions of student teachers when a problem arises about
grades or behavior.

Hopefully I will provide you with some
practical information presented in a no-nonsense form.

First and foremost, make sure all of
your personal chores and plans are in order before you begin your
assignment. Once you start it is vital to focus all of your energy
and time into your placement. Secure your housing well in advance
and establish a routine of daily tasks. Plan to arrive at school
early and plan to stay late. Student teaching is absolutely
relentless;
you will be exhausted after your first day. The mental and
physical strain is unbelievable . Make sure all of your details
are taken care of in advance; you don't want anything to interfere
with your teaching. Do create some time for yourself or you will
self-destruct. You need to keep your mind clear in order to make
effective teacher decisions. Plan to have some time each day for
your self - it may only be a few minutes, but it is very
important. You may think you don't need it, but all veteran
teachers will tell you differently.

Secondly, be a sponge. You are new
to the profession and regardless of how well your university has
prepared you, nothing measures up to being on your own in a
classroom. When the door shuts for the first time you will
know what I am talking about. Glean as much from your mentor and
other teachers as possible, and by all means, don't come across a s an
expert.

"Learn from your observations and
reflections; don't be afraid to make mistakes. As you progress
and you become more effective, take risks and try different methodologies
and teaching strategies."

You have not paid your dues and therefore you are really
not an expert at anything. Learn from your observations and
reflections; don't be afraid to make mistakes. As you progress
and you become more effective, take risks and try different methodologies
and teaching strategies. By all means keep in close contact with
your mentor and always remember - no surprises. Ask questions
before you do something; your mentor knows the ropes and will
offer excellent advice. Make it your responsibility to learn the
routines and specifics of the district and building you are working
in. Don't rely on someone to tell you; find out on your own, take
the initiative. You can learn many things from both effective and
ineffective teachers. Unless asked, keep your opinions to yourself,
being new and having all the energy of youth will be a threat to some,
so tread lightly.

If there is any down time in your
room, ask your mentor for tasks to accomplish. Help out anywhere
you can. Ask to take on something difficult and work with your
mentor to accomplish it. Save as many artifacts as possible and
use them in your professional portfolio. Creative lesson plans and
examples of student work are excellent things to have. Ask for
feedback and listen and process. Create an open dialog with your
mentor; remember that is the person who will be called first when
a district wants to know about you. Your mentor will be able to talk
about strengths and weaknesses, so what do you want to them to say about
you?

Finally, enter the internship with the
idea there will be a teaching opening that you will be qualified for in the
very building you are student teaching. Create positive
relationships with staff, parents, and students. You do that by
demonstrating professional behavior. When your internship is
completed you want everyone to say - "We would really like to have
you become part of our team!" Prove to people that you are
the type of teacher that would be a perfect fit for their district.

School districts are looking for
candidates who are 'low maintenance' - teachers who can come into their buildings
and have an immediate impact. Confidence, solid work ethic, and exemplary
professional dispositions are words you want people to use to describe
you. Your internship is an excellent place to begin!

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

The staff at StarTeaching wish
you a relaxing and restful summer season.

Most teachers, including parents who home school their children, are always
looking for new techniques to make learning more exciting for both them and
their students. If you think back to the teachers you had in school, you
probably remember the teachers that made learning fun. What if I told you
that there is an easy, fun, and unique magic application that can improve
writing skills, verbal communication, and motor abilities, as well as create
memory hooks for key curriculum topics? Well, there is…

I know what you are thinking: "But I’m a teacher, not a magician". Being a
teacher is what will make this teaching tool successful for you. The magic
effects taught in the book, Houdini in the Classroom, are NOT difficult,
although they will require minimal practice. The real magic happens when
you blend your teaching experience with magic and you see first hand the
powerful learning effect this has on your students. Why Harry Houdini? Harry Houdini is still the most famous magician of all
time, even though he died in 1926. He captivated his audience’s attention
and was a terrific showman and self- promoter. These “Houdini-like”
attributes combined with basic magic effects can be applied to the classroom
to create a fun and exciting learning environment, regardless of the curriculum and grade level.

I remember my son having a school assignment to write out the directions to
make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was a technique to develop descriptive and clear writing abilities. It is a common teaching tool, but
what if the teacher taught a simple but amazing magic trick to the class and
then had the students write the directions to the trick?

Not only would it be more fun than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but
it could be combined with developing the motor skills to perform the trick.
Plus, what about having the students write a story to accompany the trick?
And then tell the story while performing the trick to develop public
speaking skills? What a fun and multifaceted learning activity! The same idea can be used as a behavior modification technique. What child
doesn’t love magic? Especially, when they know the secret and can fool
their family and friends? Why not offer to teach the class a cool magic trick at the end of the week, if certain goals are accomplished during the
week?

I guarantee that any teacher that performs magic as part of the teaching
process will have the students sitting on the edge of their seats to see and
hear what the teacher does next. Magic is the ultimate attention getter!

Easy magic tricks can be integrated into any lesson plan regardless of subject or grade. You can pick up any beginner magic book at the library but
you it will take trial and error to know what tricks are appropriate and how
to blend them into your lesson plans. Or you can allow me to help you. I’ve done all the work for you in my book, Houdini In The Classroom. You can
become the Houdini In The Classroom at your school!

Michael Kett, a physical therapist for more than 25 years, is an educator,
motivator, and author. His two published books, Applied Magic and
Houdini
in the Classroom, explore two unique magic applications. Applied Magic
demonstrates how to use magic as a therapeutic tool and Houdini in the
Classroom shows teachers how to use magic to develop creative thinking,
writing skills, verbal communication and self-esteem.

We are proud to offer Michael's
two books. Simply click the links to each (affiliated with Amazon)
for more information or to purchase.

Michael also has an excellent offer to teachers on
his website.
Purchase the illustrated 124 page e-book version of Houdini In the
Classroom... and you will receive 3 additional bonuses valued at $45!
(including a CD-ROM demonstrating the tricks)

Our June WEBSITE OF THE MONTH award is
presented to, K12
Academics. Monitored and edited by
Chris Glavin, K12 Academics is a great resource for teachers, educators,
students, and parents.

K12 Academics is a national based education &
disability resource center with a community based approach. We cover every
county, city or town in the U.S. If you are looking for a website or
information on a school, organization, museum, library, camp or support in
your area you can find it here. The site also serves as a great resource
for teachers, parents, students, professionals & district officials in
the K-12 education system.

There are many areas on the website to check out,
including information on national directories on websites, resources,
educational services, camps, and museums. There are articles,
updated daily and written from educational experts all around the country
on any number of educational issues. There are specific sections for
teachers, from tips and techniques to lesson plans. There is another
section for students including major tests and scholarships. There
is also a directory of schools across the country.

Check this site out, you'll be glad you did. Simply click the
link below:

Need a position in a K-12 school, administration, or a coaching
job? Our website has just gained access to a specialized
service just for our members and newsletter readers. Job
listings, application and interviewing tips, and priceless
information, at your fingertips!